Concerns over planned timetable changes to Whitby railway line
Northern are proposing changes to the Esk Valley line
There is concern about rail passengers from Whitby having to wait for connections at Middlesbrough.
It is as Northern proposes timetable changes on the Esk Valley line.
Whitby MP, Robert Goodwill, said:
"The problem is that all the trains now are going to terminate at Middlesbrough which means that passengers who are travelling on, and round about 50 percent of the passengers that arrive at Middlesbrough do travel on, are now going to face connection times some of which are very long connection times.
"The proposals are that every train will stop in Middlesbrough and then you'll have to get off the train and wait for a connecting service. In some cases it can be nearly an hour and that's really very difficult for people. If you're making that journey at each end of the day then that adds two hours on to your commute which is completely unacceptable.
"The railway is very important if we're going to green then we're going to need more people using public transport. It may be that some of these journeys that people are currently taking by rail, they may have to not take them by rail in future because of the time wasted at Middlesbrough station waiting for their connection.
"I've written to Chris Heaton-Harris, the rail minister, asking them to revisit these timetable changes, to see if we can ensure that people who get on the train at Whitby, can stay on the train at Middlesbrough and carry on them their journey to places like Newcastle."
A spokesperson for Northern said:
“We are currently consulting on proposed changes to timetables as part of the wider East Coast Main Line consultation process.
“The consultation covers the timetable structure from May 2022 and is designed to deliver the benefits of over a decade of planning and investment in the East Coast Main Line, although the industry does recognise that some passengers will see service levels and connectivity reduced as a result of this.”
The spokesperson added:
“The consultation was open until early August and we welcomed all feedback on the proposals. We will continue to develop plans and timetables that deliver the best possible service for Northern’s customers as part of the wider industry changes.”